I have a chick still in the egg, my hatch ended, so I thought. I opened the remaining 4 eggs with no movement. I got to the 4th egg and it's alive! I examined it real quick and noticed it has a lower beak longer than the top. I didn't know if I should cull or not, or just leave it and see what happens. We hate to cull and do so as a last resort but don't want the chick to starve, suffer etc. I didn't know how far you can safely cut a beak back, just to make it even, it's about an 1/8 inch bigger. I recovered the hole with a clean piece from another egg, above the pip line so that won't be an issue. Ideas, suggestions appreciated Krista
If the lower beak is longer, it should be just like having a debeaked chick. Just make sure you feed and water it out of a deep dish and it should be fine.
ugh, forget it. As I went to get a better look at it I noticed it's head was open, I could see it's brain. We(dh) culled . I should have known something was up when it didn't really blink it's eyes much Krista
Sorry about the chick. I've had the same thing happen. Exencephaly isn't that uncommon in the realm of birth defects.